Celebrity chefs support far north food and craft festival

The annual food, drink and artisan craft festival – Taste North – may be restricted to online content this year but some of Scotland’s best-known chefs have rallied behind the event to show their support.

Running from this Monday (September 28) to Sunday, October 11 and hosted on Facebook, Taste North 2020 says it will showcase "the very best of the north of Scotland’s fantastic food, drink and artisan craft producers".

Chef patron of The Sisters restaurants in Glasgow, one of the stars of BBC’s Great British Menu TV show and the first celebrity chef to attend Taste North back in 2015, Jacqueline O’Donnell will perform cookery demonstrations using local food produce and celebrity chef, Tony Singh has also sent a message of support.

Singh said: “My visit to Taste North in 2018 was amazing. The quality and variety of produce that I tasted, drank and cooked with still sticks with me today and I still use the produce in some of my supper clubs at home. Please do venture north to Caithness and Sutherland for Taste North (online this year).”

Preparing for her digital cookery demonstration for Taste North 2020, O’Donnell said: “The north of Scotland has such amazing produce, restaurants and hotels and amazing beaches and scenery that will take your breath away. Use this time to taste what we have to offer – you won’t be disappointed.”

Those tuning in to Taste North 2020 on Facebook will discover more about the produce of the north of Scotland and will be able to shop online from some of the producers, watch cookery classes and cocktail demonstrations.

Taste North’s annual bake-off competition, The Taste North Challenge, supported by Developing the Young Workforce, returns too with entries accepted online until Sunday, October 4. Find all entry details on the Taste North Challenge event page at www.facebook.com/events/359635025174868/

Produced by tourism co-operative, Venture North, the event has drawn thousands of people over the years to the annual Taste North showcases in Caithness and Sutherland. Venture North chairperson, Catherine MacLeod said: “Whilst Taste North 2020 is certainly going to be different to that of the festivals we’ve hosted in the past, we do hope that the local community and those who have or planned to visit Caithness and Sutherland will tune in and watch and engage with some of the activity we’ll have on the Taste North Facebook page.

"Plans are already underway for a fantastic physical Taste North 2021 and we can’t wait to share more details in the new year”.

All Taste North 2020 showcases and digital demonstrations will be shown on the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tastenorth

Jean-Christophe Novelli hails ‘truly exceptional' local produce at Taste North

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.